Remnants of a Memory
by ShirokoKatitov23
Summary: Fate was cruel to bring them together. Two of the most unlikely people meet under awful circumstances and Rivaille is left to watch over a kid he wanted nothing to do with. As dark pasts are revealed and barriers are broken between them, he wonders if he he can trust the boy. Little does he know that Eren himself harbors a secret that threatens to destroy what little they have. AU
1. Chapter 1

So this is an idea that had been festering in my mind for almost two months now? Well, I finally decided to write it and I hope it sates your Riren/Ereri needs. Its the first chapter though, so nothing really happens between the two...yet, of course. If you squint though I'm sure you'll find they have very small moments.

It's rated T and thats very unlikely to change, just saying:)

Another thing, in this fic I use Rivaille more often than Levi, the later being his nickname. Same goes with Eren, in which I use Jeager instead of Yeager. I just like it better that way.

_**I don't own Shingeki no Kyojin/Attack on Titan, Hajime Isayama-san does.**_

_Enjoy~!_

* * *

_Fate has a strange yet resolute way of laying forth a path for one to follow, engraved with bumps and hills and even cliffs where one could fall into the depths of despair. Fate was relentless, and expected one to follow the path it had set out for them regardless of the dangers that lay ahead, threatening to break apart the soul of the person traversing it. What happiness it offered it could rip away before one even had the chance to relish in it._

"Eren! Over here!"

The young man turned from his friends and situated in between the rows of cars nestled in front of the school, waved his mother with a smile from inside their black Mercedes, his father sitting besides her at the wheel, his eyes expectantly watching him. Eren waved back weakly, cheeks warming at the onset of stares he was receiving from his fellow students. He turned back to his friends, smiling impishly and saying his goodbyes.

"Don't forget about this Saturday." reminded his raven-haired companion, Mikasa. She was known for often doting on him, acting more like a sister towards him than a friend, and it was often misunderstood by others as affection. "Movies, pick you up at seven?"

"Yeah, sure." Eren responded breezily giving her and their blond friend, Armin, a hesitant glance before swiftly enveloping them both in a hug and pulling away just as fast. Some stunned looks and amused chuckles later, Eren bid his friends an official goodbye and ran towards his transportation home. "Hey mom, dad." he greeted as opened the car door and tossed his pack, then himself into the back seat. His mother turned around in her seat and ruffled his hair affectionately. "Hey dear, remember what today is?"

Eren shook his head, shooting her a curious glance. "What's today?"

"It's that time again. You have an appointment with Doctor Morrison remember?"

Eren grimaced, his eyes darting towards the car window anxiously, watching as the car slowly but steadily made its way forward. Thank god there was traffic ahead.

Knowing the imminent refusal Eren nevertheless inquired, "Mom, could we not? I'm healthy mom. Pretty sure I am so there's no need to see the doctor. He says I'm fine every time."

"Eren, we've discussed this." warned his father, his eyes steadfast on the road ahead yet his voice was as admonishing as when he gave Eren a lecture. The boy sighed loudly in response. "_Seriously though_! I don't want to go, I know better than _anyone_ that I'm healthy! Why don't you guys just trust me on this?"

His father and mother exchanged a brief and knowing look, not answering the boy's inquiry.

* * *

_The tumultuous spins and sharp turns, the unprecedented fall into a bottomless abyss; all these challenges were, by Fate's hand, interwoven into a person's path in order to test their resolve, their perseverance and their mettle in the face of a seemingly hopeless situation. It was cruel in that way; sadistic in the manner it tore and picked people apart only to see if what was on the inside was worth any interest. Some were left at the brink of despair, while others...threw themselves off the precipice in their misery. The soul is resilient, but its vessel as adaptable as it was, had its limitations, and fate took sadistic delight in stretching the rubber band that was peoples' emotions until it snapped._

Rivaille was calmly scanning the contents of his computer's screen when he found that his mind was steadily flowing adrift. It was long since work hours had ended and he had volunteered himself for another few hours of overtime in the company of his ever faithful stack of papers. It wasn't often that he stayed behind to work, however, next week he had an appointment made with an important friend, the same appointment they had every year where they would meet and Rivaille would tell him of his life as of yet and then would reminisce of older times better left forgotten. He would always listen quietly, without saying a word, a trait Rivaille had always found annoying. He would always leave him in a sour mood (more than usual anyways), and head straight for the nearest bar to drink until he couldn't tell up from down.

His boss had understood of course, he was a benevolent man, and even allowed him a few days off due to him being the ever diligent employee. "Take care of yourself Levi." he'd said. "If you need anything, you can always call me." he had reminded sternly. Rivaille had nodded at the time but they both knew he wasn't going to call for shit. Anyways, as a result of those few days off, Rivaille took it upon himself to get ahead in the paperwork, lest it pile up in a miserable corner during his absence. And so here he was, forcing himself to finish, and counting the days until their meeting. He constantly had to blink rapidly to regain his focus. No, he couldn't let his head wander too far from what was presently happening as he had no desire to traverse through the depths of his mind and accidentally recall the past he so dreaded. With a deep sigh he refocused his view on the computer screen and began typing furiously, eager to get home and sleep. When he was sleeping at least, he didn't have to worry about the present or the past. He was often blessed with dream-less slumbering.

* * *

"Eren...it's not that we don't trust you...its just that, we want to make sure-"

"That I'm not sick? Do I look even remotely sick to you mom? I feel _great_. Normal. And I've been like this for years." Eren almost whined, his forest green eyes harsh and heavy with resolution stared deep into his mother's hazel orbs, imploring her to reconsider. He could see her resolve crumbling, her expression sorrowful as she began to speak, "Eren, I-"

"Carla." Eren's father said solemnly, his hand gently coming to rest on her shoulder. His gaze shifted from his wife, to Eren, and to his wife again. "I know how you feel about the doctor Eren, your mother and I would love nothing more than to just drive on past the place, go home together and forget any of this ever happened. But we can't Eren, we won't take any chances. We need to know you're alright and not just because you say so. Now please stop begging your mother, can't you see how difficult you are making this for her?"

Eren despised the thought of putting his mother through any pain but he really didn't want to go! He didn't like Doctor Morrison, all he had to offer was forced smiles and horribly painful injections of strangely colorful fluids. Whenever he examined him, he asked strange questions and treated him without care, like he was an animal. _"__Lately, have you felt any strange urges boy? Like, let say, you feel angry, really angry and you feel like you cant control yourself, you feel like...you want to rip everything apart perhaps?"_ he had said once. Eren had looked at him like he was crazy (perhaps he was, given how his father looked highly concerned around him) and answered in the negative. He had never in his life been that angry. What the hell was he talking about, _rip everything apart?_

"Sorry mom but I'm not going back there. That place is strange and that doctor is crazy! I'm tired of seeing him, I'm tired of the examinations every freaking month and I'm tired of you doting on me like I'm some weak, injured little bird that cant fly! I'm not sick, and the only reason I would be is because you cage me from the outside world so much!"

"Not this again...listen Eren, we only want to protect-"

"Don't say that! I stopped believing that crap a long time ago!"

"Please Eren, listen-"

"No _you_ listen!" Eren yelled, suddenly annoyed. "You are such control freaks! Never letting me out of the house except for school, always watching me, it's a miracle I have any friends! But _no_, its all to protect me! Don't give me that bullshit!"

"Eren!"his mother gasped, her eyes wide. "Please son, stop..."

Eren knew he _should_ stop, the look on his mother's face had made his chest hurt and even his father was looking at him funny. Maybe it was because this was his first time speaking out so adamantly. Even so, he was tired of obeying quietly just to please them. They were happy with him because he cooperated but he wasn't happy with himself! They held him back so many times and he was damn tired of it. He couldn't allow them to keep him in his room on a Saturday night while everyone else was out with their friends, he couldn't let them place bars on his window so that he wouldn't sneak out for the hundredth time that month. They couldn't call him the second school ended and demand that he go to their car immediately and not linger in the building for even a minute more. He was tired of them putting a wall between him and the rest of society and he had tried again and again to climb this formidable obstacle, he tried reasoning with them countless times, argued and yelled over and over again but he was always silenced, his pleas ignored, and the wall seemed to grow farther and farther from the ground, it's impending form casting a disparaging shadow over him as he saw his freedom slipping from his grasp.

But no more. He would break through that damned wall if need be, but he would not let himself be pushed down _again_. Not by the people he trusted the most. "I'm tired, so fucking tired like you wouldn't believe." he hissed. "I'm fine, I've been fine and I will always be fine, so stop babying me, stop telling me to shut up, and let me do what I want to do cause its my fucking life, not yours!"

He looked down at his lap, his hands were clenched into fists and trembling with all his pent up anger and frustration. It couldn't have been a more inconvenient time to let out his frustrations; normally after he'd talk back to his parents he would storm into his room and lock himself up for hours, however this time around there was no escape, his harsh words hung in the air for everyone to hear and neither he nor his parents could ignore it withing the confined space of the car. How he felt at this moment, how he had felt over the years, there were simply no words to describe the pain and sorrow that it had brought upon him without his parents noticing. But now they knew, no, they'd simply had a _taste_ of his inner struggle and he was far from done. "I'm not going to put up with it anymore! I hate how my life's been for the past years and its all your fucking faults for doing that shit to me! Do you even fucking realize just how much you've taken from me!?"

There was a silence. His head whipped up to gauge their reaction to his words.

But all his eyes focused on were the piercing white headlights of an oncoming truck.

* * *

Rivaille had finally finished his load of paperwork and was grabbing his coat when he heard his cellphone ring from within one of its wool pockets. He rummaged through both only to pick up his old beat up flip-phone from the right pocket. It was a gift, he had recalled, from an old friend. Never gotten rid of it despite how "un-modern" it was.

He hadn't had a clue on who could call him so late in the afternoon though, and for some reason as soon as he took the call he had an ominous premonition of the worst.

"Hello?" he said, lacking the usual undertone of sarcasm in his uncertainty.

"Hey Levi! Its me Hanji!" cried a loud and animated female voice from the other line. Rivaille groaned internally and momentarily contemplated hanging up but decided on humoring the boisterous woman for once. "I know who it is calling me Hanji, theres this thing called 'Caller ID'." he said with no small amount of renewed derision. Hanji made a small 'ohhh' sound as if she was fascinated by the fact. "Really? I couldn't tell what with your phone being from medieval times."

"Did you have some other purpose in calling me besides complaining over something that is none of your business?"

"Ah! Yeah, I did. I was wondering if we were still up for Friday next week?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Visiting _him_ of course! You're going that day aren't you? I was gonna come with..."

"Absolutely not. Who the hell gave you permission to tag along? It isn't a field trip."

"I know that." Hanji mumbled. "Still, I want to join you. I have a right to see him as much as you do." she said seriously.

Rivaille bit his lip.

"Besides!" she said with renewed vigor. "He'd rather see us together than apart! You wouldn't want him to worry yeah?"

"...fine. Meet me at my place that day. You know at what time?"

"Same time as every year!"

"Don't make me wait."

He hung up, not bothering to hear her reply and was about to shove the phone in his pocket when suddenly, it rang again loudly. He growled impatiently and flipped it open to take the call, his voice laced with irritation. "What is it now?"

"H-hello? Is this Rivaille-san?" Inquired a unfamiliar shrill female voice through his cellphone speaker. Rivaille cringed inwardly but collected himself and answered in a professional voice natural of him."Yes this is he speaking."

"Ah well...Rivaille-san...how do I say this? Uhmm...I mean..." Rivaille raised a brow, his patience thinning as the bad feeling in his gut flared up once more. Obviously, this woman was lacking in communication skills or she had a valid reason for stuttering like an idiot. "What is it. I'm a very busy man." he quipped.

"Ah well...it seems you're acquainted with Grisha Jeager-san, correct?" Rivaille hummed in confirmation, wondering where this woman was going with the conversation. Why the hell would she be calling about _him_?

"Well you are listed in his emergency contacts in our hospital records-"

"Hospital records? Why the hell am I listed there and why am I getting called in the first place, did something happen to Jeager?" He interrupted, losing his composure for the slightest of moments.

"Well, there isn't any way to say this but uhmm...Mr. Jeager and his wife have passed away. I'm terribly sorry."

"..."

The woman took his silence as a sign to continue. "T-They were in a car accident. Three passengers in total, including their son. Uhh...Mr. Jeager suffered severe trauma to the cerebral area and died of a hemorrhage before we could get to him. Mrs. Jeager suffered from a punctured lung and a few bruises but died of blunt force trauma to the cervical spine, breaking her neck. And their child..."

The woman stopped as if she was wondering whether Rivaille was still listening. The man himself was speechless. He had known Jeager of course, and the man had always seemed pleasant yet stern about his work, an intelligent man who understood very well what his purpose was in life. A bright man like him, to suddenly disappear from the world like a flame being extinguished, leaving the world in darkness, he couldn't fathom the thought. But besides all that...why him? Why would they tell him of all people? Shouldn't they be contacting his family instead?

"And the kid?" He found himself saying. He honestly didn't know if he wanted to find out the fate of the child. Jeager had always talked about his family like they were god-sent. He knew how grave the whole incident was but despite that he, who considered himself a very able man; one quick to think, ready for anything, just _could not_ for the life of him wrap his damned mind around what he had been told. He felt his fists clench around the phone tightly as he exhaled.

The woman cleared her throat, clearly uncomfortable. "Well sir, that is why I'm calling. We can find no other reliable contact information besides you sir. The child is alive, just...we need a guardian and we have no one else to contact."

"No relatives at all." Rivaille ground out, clenching his hands into fists.

"No sir, nothing. I'm sorry sir, but can you-"

"I'll be there. What hospital?"

The woman had barely any time to respond before Rivaille hung up, donned his coat and stormed out of his office in a furious haze. It was one of the few times the poor janitor working nearby saw the man without the strict self control he usually presented himself with; his eyebrows scrunched, his scowl prominent, his fists clenched tightly and his eyes set ablaze with fury and impatience. The people that remained in the building stepped out of his path in fear as he made his way to the origin of all his troubles. That child.

By the time Rivaille had made it to the lobby of the hospital his mind was no less frazzled than before but at least he had better control of his disposition. As calmly as possible, he approached a nurse at the lobby and asked for Jeager -because the damned name of the kid had just evaded his mind- but all that mattered was that he was alive. The nurse gave him a kind smile as she directed him towards the room; it did nothing to quell his rampaging thoughts but he silently acknowledged it never the less. When they finally reached the room, he realized he was not prepared to see what kind of mangled form the kid might have. No matter what he had seen in his past, a kid getting hurt is many times worse than an adult getting hurt. He didn't know why but it just is. Especially if this kid was the one getting hurt.

When he blindly followed the nurse into the room it was because he decided that he had no other choice and whatever he was faced with he would have to deal with it, just like all his other problems. However, deep in his gut, he could feel the unease spreading, and it warned him that this was unlike anything he had faced before.

His gut feeling was always right.

His second surprise of the day came shortly after he looked at the occupant of the room, a young teen, not a child, resting quietly on the rather uncomfortable-looking hospital bed. He briefly recalled that when Jeager had talked about his only son, he had said that he was the most noble yet stubborn child he had ever met. He however, failed to mention that his little boy, wasn't so little anymore.

He warily approached the sleeping form with a look of utter monotony, he simply didn't know what kind of face to make anymore. The boy with chocolate brown locks framing his pale face looked worse for wear. He was sweating slightly and looked like he was in a fitful rest from his uneven breathing. His face was scrunched slightly in pain and it made Rivaille almost pity the boy.

Looking back, he had found that the nurse was staring at him quietly. He turned to her and asked, his voice betraying nothing, "What's wrong with him?"

She glanced down at the clipboard she held in her arms and read the diagnosis to him. "Some bruises and lacerations but mainly a broken rib and a slight concussion."

"What did he forget to put on his seatbelt or something?" Rivaille humored, his expression not contorting in the slightest and his eyes grim. "Fuck." He grumbled. "He's gonna be fine right?"

"Yes, he's actually extremely lucky to have taken such little damage. I heard a truck crashed directly into their car. Its nothing short of a miracle that he survived all of that with so minor injuries. Lucky for him that means he doesn't have to spend that long here. Just a week, maybe less depending on how he's feeling. We'll just keep him a while for observation. The only problem at the moment is of course, finding someone to take custody of him after his discharge now that...well, you know..." she said, her hazel eyes downcast as she gripped the clipboard tightly.

"And you weren't able to contact any relatives at all? Not even a cousin or-"

"No sir." The woman quipped. "That is why we contacted you. You were the only emergency contact listed in his and his family's hospital records."

Rivaille sighed deeply, rubbing his face with his hands in frustration. "Why the fuck-" he paused, and for a long moment he was silent, his eyes attached to the limp form underneath stark white sheets. Finally he looked up, understanding clear in his stormy eyes. "So he's an orphan and I'm assuming he's underage."

"Yes. Sixteen to be exact."

"And what, you expect me to take custody of him?" Rivaille guessed, his voice laced with disbelief. Calm as he may have looked, hell, he wasn't even sure what expression he was making, Rivaille was not absorbing all of the information well. How could he? How could he just accept that not only Jeager and his wife had _died_, but that their kid had survived and now he was expected to take him in? It was slowly piling up in his mind, a new burden on his shoulders. No, that was unfair, its not like the kid asked for this either but still, it was far too much. How could anybody expect him to handle all of this shit? No wait, this shit didn't even happen to anybody _except him_ of course, that was just his fucking luck but that didn't mean he was going to sit on his ass and let the dead spite him with a new, _irritating_ responsibility.

The nurse looked deathly serious as she nodded, but so was Rivaille. "Are you kidding me? Do you even know what you're asking of me? You can't seriously expect me to take custody this kid." He growled, jerking his thumb towards the boy for emphasis.

The nurse looked saddened. "Its optional of course. If you won't take custody of him then the only other option is to place him in a orphanage where he'll hopefully find a foster home."

Rivaille narrowed his eyes. "So just do that, I have no business with this kid anymore. Orphanages aren't that bad." He responded, crossing his arms defiantly. The nurse shook her head. "Even so, I believe every child deserves to be given a chance at a true family. You may not be his blood relative, but you're a friend of the family and he knows you. I believe he'll be more comfortable with you than having to start over with complete strangers."

Rivaille scoffed, his eyes glinting with some dark emotion. "Don't think so. This is my first time meeting _the teenager_. We don't know each other at all."

"Look." The nurse said, her voice hiding an undertone of anger. "I'm sorry but this poor kid just lost his _parents_, and we can't find any other person at the moment to take care of him after he is discharged. Now, I'm not sure if you care, but imagine how psychologically traumatized he will be when he wakes up and realizes what's happened to him. He _needs_ someone who he knows and can trust and if you hold a _shred_ of dignity or sympathy, you'll be that someone."

Rivaille didn't respond. The nurse breathed deeply, wrinkles appearing on her youthful skin. "As I said you are under no obligation to help him but I think that you should sit down and really think it through. I know its a lot to ask of you but this child needs you. If it's the paperwork and process that bothers you then the doctor himself can help you work it out...you can give this child a home when he leaves...don't you think he deserves that?"

"What...makes you think he'll even want me to care for him?" Rivaille questioned, his eyes closed and brows scrunched in deep thought.

"Because he's been staring at you and holding the back of your jacket for some time now."

Rivaille flinched visibly and turned around only to find a hand dropping it's loose grip on the hem of his suit jacket. He looked down at the boy and noticed droopy emerald eyes regarding him tiredly. He looked dead, like he just wanted to close his heavy lids and sleep forever. There were bags under his eyes and his lips were dry and chapped, he was pale and yet Rivaille's gaze were solely interlocked with the boy's. Deep green orbs flecked with blue streaks stared back, looking as lifeless as their owner yet still managing to keep their hold on Rivaille's. They exchanged no words and Rivaille wasn't going to pretend like he could see some deeper emotion in his eyes when he couldn't. Still, they made something swell uncomfortably in his chest and he found himself unable to look away.

Suddenly, it was like he was staring at the deep green pools of a young child of nine. His body frail and weak yet his eyes always so determined, always following him, staring up at him longingly as their owner walked alongside him, his tiny hand clenched around the fabric of his pants. He'd stared back at those eyes with his own tortured ones and he saw many things in the boy and his smile. He saw the deep admiration, the blind trust and the willingness to accept everything that had overshadowed what had brought them together in the first place; the abandonment, the fear, the spiral into the depths of despair. He saw what he could have been and what he truly was, but what mattered was that he saw himself in that child and he didn't like it. Maybe that's why he found himself unable to think anymore as he spoke again after a long time of thoughtful silence.

"Fine."he muttered. "As long as he can take care of himself...and he wants to stay with me then...there's not a _huge_ problem."

The nurse seemed overjoyed. "Did you hear that honey? You're gonna be just fine." She told the child gleefully. The boy merely glanced at her for a moment before closing his eyes again and falling asleep. Rivaille watched him carefully, feeling like he had committed a huge mistake. Well, its not like that pushy nurse will let him take it back anyways.

"Come with me, I'll lead you to the doctor's office so you can discuss the specifics."

"Shit." Rivaille grumbled before reluctantly following her out the door.

* * *

When the boy opened his eyes for the second time, Rivaille was there to greet him with a frown.

"Real pain in the ass you are." hissed Rivaille grumpily, his eyes scanning the clipboard in his hands before setting it down on the bedside table. "Eren Jaeger."

Eren turned his empty gaze to him and stared quietly. Rivaille stared back not really expecting a response. "Not gonna answer me-"

"H-heichou?" came out the raspy voice of the boy, his forest green eyes glimmering with hope the minute he'd said the word. Slowly, he held out his frail hand to Rivaille, who sat in a chair besides him, eyes wide and full of surprise. A wave of nostalgia crashed unto him from the single word. It had been a long time, _too long_, since he was called that name. A stupid title he had thought, and very few people called him that back then and even less so now. Only this boy, he mused, only he would call him such a thing. Gingerly, the hand slipped closer to his own until it rested atop his own. Rivaille's senses snapped to life, his mind reeling at the contact yet he didn't pull away. "Eren you..." he muttered, his voice fading as he was left speechless for once in his life.

The boy stared back, and blinked once. As soon as it had come, the recognition left his eyes and was replaced with confusion. "A-ah? I mean...I-I'm sorry! Umm, I don't even know you and I called you something weird, yeah? S-sorry. I just...I dunno, I looked at you and that's the first thing that came to mind. Sorry if I creeped you out or something...uhm..."

Rivaille hand twitched under the boy's and Eren sputtered and blushed, realizing what he had done as he quickly pulled away. "S-sorry." he apologized. Rivaille stared at him like he had grown two heads. What the fuck had happened just now? He sighed deeply, rubbing his face with his hands before he looked up at the flushed teenager before him. "It's fine. Don't apologize."

Eren was silent but nodded and the two were yet again enveloped in an almost stifling silence. The boy fidgeted and Rivaille too felt like he needed to say something, he just wasn't sure what.

"Well, aren't you gonna thank me? I went through a whole shitload of paperwork just to take custody of you." the older man grumbled. "Still am." he continued, gesturing to the clipboard he was previously holding. Eren simply stared back at him, no signs of remorse or embarrassment at the fact. Rivaille felt slightly irked at his silence, what the hell was wrong with him now?

Before he could ask just that however, a familiar nurse walked in, a small smile on her face as she regarded Eren. "Hey sweetie. I see you're awake, how are you feeling? Do you want anything? Food, drink-"

Eren nodded.

"Ah, of course, your throat must be dry." She said, turning to a small table at the other end of the room and grabbing a glass pitcher full of water before pouring some in a cup and handing it over to Eren. The boy slowly raised his hands and took the cup, making Rivaille take notice of the needle and tube injected into his arm. Ugh. He really didn't like hospitals he realized. All the beeping machines, anesthetics and bleariness of it all. It reminded him of things he'd rather not think about.

The boy drank greedily and gestured for more water until he had easily drank over five cups. Finally he cleared his throat and turned to Rivaille. "You...you're...Rivaille...right?" He said, his eyes glazing over with some unknown emotion.

"How do you know who I am?" Rivaille questioned carefully, his eyes dubious.

"My father...talked about you a lot..." Eren said then froze, his eyes clearing over with realization and...anger? That didn't look good. Rivaille watched as the boy released the glass, letting it fall to the floor and shatter into thousands of sharp shards.

The boy turned a ferocious glare to the nurse, then to Rivaille. "They're dead." he mumbled quietly, but Rivaille heard the ire in his voice. The nurse gasped softly and moved to comfort him but Rivaille held up a hand to stop her. He looked to Eren and eyed him carefully as he said, "Yeah. They're dead." he didn't see the point in hiding the truth. Eren stared at Rivaille, but the older man could tell that he was not really looking at him. He was lost in his own thoughts, the light disappearing from his eyes with each passing second.

Then he was back, trying to get up and yelling at the nurse at the top of his lungs. "How!? How could they be dead!? They're not really _dead_ right!? Right!? You couldn't have let them die!"

The nurse begged him to lie back down but Eren wasn't having any of it. He tore off the needle from his wrist and stood from the bed, oblivious to his wounds. "No...no! It's all your goddamn fault! You couldn't save them you fucking piece of shit! Not even my _mother_ dammit!" He grabbed the nurse by the collar of her shirt and tugged her back and forth harshly, spitting obscenities in her face. "Why'd you let them die!? You should've died instead!" He faltered, hot tears poring from his tormented eyes as he shook her some more. "I should have died too!"

The nurse trembled visibly in his grasp, trying desperately to regain her composure. "I'm sorry! They were dead before we-!"

"NO! Don't fucking apologize! Its all your fault!" Eren roared, fury burning like scorching flames in his eyes as he clenched his hand into a fist and pulled it back, ready to strike the startled nurse when-

"Enough of this shit."

The next thing Eren knew, his head was being pressed against the ground with both hands restrained behind his back by an irritable Rivaille who was straddling him from behind. The nurse was strewn across the floor nearby, pushed back by Levi in order to dodge the fist that just _narrowly_ missed her face. Her expression was a compilation of confusion and horror as she gazed at the scene before her. "H-his wounds!" she stuttered.

Rivaille ignored her and opted to stare back at the tear filled emerald eyes of the affronted teen pinned beneath him. They held pure and unadulterated fury, wild and intense like that of an hungry animal, and for some reason, it made a shiver run through his spine. "_Stupid brat_." he spat. The boy responded by struggling and trying to push him off, shards pricking his skin due to the action. His grip tightened painfully. "Fuck you! Get off of me!" the boy barked. Rivaille scoffed, "Are you really Eren? The kid Jaeger always talked about with so much fucking love and admiration that I wanted to_ puke_?" The boy stiffened, his eyes widened in surprise and for a moment Rivaille thought he would try to struggle again but the boy merely clenched his eyes closed in silence. Surely enough, Rivaille felt him shaking as he strained his ears to hear the soft, almost inaudible sniffles originating from the teen. "Oh god, you've got to be kidding..." He sighed. Eren quivered. "Shut...up. You don't know shit... It's...It's all my fault!" he whispered. Rivaille rolled his eyes. "So you're an orphan, welcome to the fucking club you dipshit. You'll get over it." he said, releasing him and standing up. The boy steadily sat up, his back facing him and his hands trembling. Rivaille turned to the nurse who was still in shock as she stared at the boy. Rivaille huffed and nudged the boy in the back with his foot...hard.

"Ugh! W-what!" the teen asked, anger seeping through his sob filled voice.

"Apologize to the lady you rude brat." He ordered, watching as the boy slowly stood up and turned to the nurse. His cheeks were streaked with tear trails and his face contorted into a pained expression. He paced over to the nurse and offered her his hand. "...sorry." he mumbled. The nurse looked at him quietly before standing up on her own and smiling shakily. "Don't worry about it. Your wounds though! Are you okay!?" she exclaimed. Eren flinched, suddenly remembering. "Shit..." he said before nearly collapsing. Rivaille caught him by the arms and clicked his tongue in distaste. "Fucking brat, how dense can you be?" he reprimanded.

"Who's fault do you think this is!" Eren bit back. "You're the one who attacked me!"

"You almost punched the nurse." Rivaille deadpanned. Eren couldn't argue with that. The nurse chuckled nervously. "Really, its no big deal. What's important is that we get you back to bed." She said as she and Rivaille helped the injured boy back to his bed. The nurse injected the needle to his wrist again and left the room with the excuse of calling the doctor and updating him on the boy's condition. Eren and Rivaille were left alone in the stark white room once again with nothing but the beeping of the monitors to fill the silence. Rivaille plopped down on the cushioned seat besides the bed and grabbed the clipboard again, scribbling down more information on it. Eren watched him carefully as he wiped his eyes. His breath was ragged, Rivaille quietly noted, but the color had returned to his face and his eyes were as vivid as ever. He was alive. Nothing less than a miracle.

"What...do I do now...?" Eren mumbled to himself, so quietly that Rivaille almost didn't catch it. "Didn't you hear me before? You're coming with me." Rivaille answered nonchalantly, his gaze never leaving the papers at his hands. Eren swung his head in his direction, his breath catching. "Though I don't know if I really want to deal with your shit after seeing you throw that temper tantrum." he added, gauging Eren's reaction. The boy was silent, looking down at his hands which were white from clenching the sheets so hard. Rivaille sighed, tapping the boys head with the clipboard. "Kidding. I wouldn't be filling these goddamn papers if I wasn't would I?" He said. Eren turned to him again, his eyes filled with conflict. Rivaille tried to at least smirk at him but all that came out was a grimace. "No 'thank you' huh? Fine then." he said sarcastically, pulling away.

"No!" Eren exclaimed, grabbing Rivaille's wrist. The older man flinched in surprise. The boy blushed and looked down at the floor in shame. "I-I mean...thank...you..."

_And perhaps, in some form of a challenge to the hearts of its prey, Fate chose to bring two of the most unlikely people together for better,_

_and __**for worse**__._

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So if you're feeling benevolent and would like to leave a review then it would be greatly appreciated! If you liked it and would like to leave a review but have no idea what to say, (I'm not the only one like that am I?) then I would ask of you to tell me this in your review; have I portrayed Rivaille and Eren correctly, considering the situation? Its super important that I know, since I especially focus on keeping everyone in character as much as possible (particularly Eren, Levi and Hanji) So do tell whether I did good or bad so that I can improve!

Cant really tell when the next chapter will be written since I'm lazy in nature but reviews tend to goad me into action and I'm pretty exited about this story so that usually prompts me. Still, don't be expecting much _just in case_.

Anyways, I just really hope you've enjoyed it and look forward to the next chapter. Regardless of whether you leave a review or not I'm still very happy that you even took the time to read this~! So thank you.


	2. Chapter 2

**First of all I'd like to thank all of those who reviewed, followed and/or favorited this fic. I'm so glad you all liked it and thought that I kept everyone in character. Your reviews were mostly what inspired me to keep going. With that said, I present the second chapter that somehow ended up being longer than the first? Meh.**

**I dunno though, I'm not 100% on this chapter even though I've probably read it over 10 times trying to fix it to the point where i'm satisfied with it but really there's only so much I can fix without the opinion of someone else to help me. I took less time in writing this because I'm trying to finish reading the books I was assigned for the summer and so I want to write and publish as many chapters as I can before school starts and I get busy.**

**Even so I tried not to rush and I hope this chapter is enjoyable nevertheless.**

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"_...Eren..."_

_Everything was blurred, unclear and opaque; he blinked to clear his vision but to his chagrin, his surroundings were clouded by a dense fog. His head felt light and his limbs weighed like lead but he could feel his senses returning slowly. His back rested against a hard surface, and his legs stretched before him, dark pants stained darker and dampened by some strange red fluid._

"_E-Eren..."_

_His ears were ringing and he could vaguely feel something wet dripping from his forehead, yet he could only focus on the red liquid. It was a familiar sight, one he had seen before and he was so close to naming it...it was on the tip of his tongue...The ringing faded and Eren heard a shriek come from the fog, so desperate it crawled under his skin and imbedded itself in his brain permanently._

"_...E-Eren...run!"_

_He could hear the voice now, broken and choking, it came from the fog, directly in front of him. He knew who the voice belonged to, yet his mind could not place a face to accompany it. His chest throbbed with pain; whether emotional or physical, he could not tell. The voice screamed his name repeatedly and he so ardently wanted to answer but the words could not formulate in his head and his reply could not leave his lips as if something were pushing them down his throat. He so tried to will it out and that was when he felt it; something rushing through his stomach, pushing through his esophagus and leaving his mouth. He coughed it out, struggling to breathe and to his horror the red liquid now coated his front, dribbling down his chin and staining his hands in a viscous red. _

_A single word formed in his head, bolded, underlined and so very grim. Blood. He could smell it in the air, so potent and metallic that it made his stomach lurch. It coated the inside of his mouth with a bitter tang of copper that made his head spin. Blood. Blood everywhere._

"_E-Eren! Run!" the voice cried once more. Eren snapped out of his trance and looked up, there was a figure, it's form shrouded in the fog and sprawled out on the floor. He could tell as it tried crawling out of the fog and towards him, that its legs were broken, twisted and bent in odd angles behind it. Just then, seemingly out of nowhere emerged another dark figure, standing casually besides the one on the floor holding what was suspiciously shaped like a bat. Before Eren even had a chance to register everything the figure spun the bat in it's hand once and brought it down with brutal force at the unsuspecting form on the ground. It let out a strangled shriek, so disparaging and tortured that it reminded Eren of a live pig being slaughtered._

_He only now realized that his cheeks were dampened with tears. He wasn't sure why he was crying; he thought it was because of the horrifying scene before him but that didn't explain why he felt like his heart was being ripped from his chest every time the figure with the familiar voice cried out. He tried to move, tried to do something, **anything**, but his body was paralyzed, not even a twitch of his fingers could be managed. Tears of pain turned to those of frustration as he felt like screaming at the top of his lungs but found even that impossible. He had never felt so trapped in his entire life,and he wondered if all he could do was watch the horrendous scene unfold before him. With his vision blurred by tears he watched the bat pounding into flesh, eliciting agonized screams and sometimes the sickening crunch of bones shattering. After a few more moments of struggling to move Eren strained his eyes to at least identify the assailant. His eyes trailed from the bloody weapon to the hand holding it, frantic green orbs following from a well toned arm to a delicate looking collarbone and finally stopping at the attacker's face. It too was shrouded in the impenetrable fog but unlike the figure on the ground it's eyes were prominent in the haze, eyes that stared back at him tauntingly._

_Eyes that were gray like a storm on a rainy day._

"_...Eren."_

"Eren."

"Oi, Eren!"

Eren blinked once as he flung his body upwards into a sitting position, terrified eyes scanning the room until clashing with familiar gray orbs.

"Hey, are you-?"

"No! Don't touch me! Don't get near me! G-go away!" Eren screamed, the words ripping from his throat like he had held them back for years.

Rivaille froze in his spot, his eyes flashing with momentary confusion. He stood besides the boy who looked at him like he had killed his puppy. His breath was labored and his eyes gleamed with fear and apprehension. He seemed to inch away from him and looked ready to flee the room. "Oi, calm down brat. I was just swinging by to check up on you. I'm not gonna touch you." the older man said, his hands up with palms facing forward in surrender. The boy seemed to ignore his words, opting to shrug out of bed and stand on the opposite side, his hands clenching and unclenching as he stared at Levi with pure distrust. "Y-you...you..."

"I what?" Levi spat, his voice flat. "Speak up and stop looking at me like that. I only came here to tell you that you're getting released on Friday. That nurse, Petra, told me."

At that Eren visibly relaxed, his stance less tense but his eyes every bit insinuating towards him. "Okay." he said simply, fixed to his spot. Rivaille sighed and unceremoniously flopped onto a chair nearby. "You don't have to be so tense around me kid. You act like i'm gonna eat you or something. If were going to coexist from now on, you gotta make an effort."

"And you?" Eren growled, carefully sitting on the bed, still a fair distance from the man. "I don't see you trying to get to know me. All you do is sit here, ask how i'm doing and leave."

"I don't need to know more about you. I already know enough, and that you haven't changed." Rivaille hissed, placing his elbows on the armrests and resting his head on his fist as he scrutinized the boy.

Eren's eyes narrowed. "Whats that supposed to mean?"

"It means that you're still a shitty brat." is all he said.

Eren felt like trying to elicit a less cryptic response but the stern gaze directed toward him dared him to try. He decided not to delve more into the subject and settled for resting on his bed.

"I called your school earlier. Told them your situation and sorted out some shit. You'll be back by next Monday."

School. He hadn't even given it a thought. He had to go back didn't he? He didn't look forward to it; instead it gave him a sense of dread at the pit of his stomach. The only reason he even attended school anymore was for Armin and Mikasa. Speaking of those two, he wondered what they were doing and if they've heard. He knew that if they showed up he'd probably end up breaking down and making a fool of himself. He certainly didn't want to do that, especially not in front of Rivaille.

"O-okay." he said forlornly, but then he had a thought. "How did you know which school I go to? I never mentioned it."

"I have an old friend of mine that was close to Jeager. Name's Erwin, you know him?" Eren nodded slightly, his eyes softening. "Yeah, he was always with dad. I didn't see him a lot due to them working and all but he was always nice to me."

"Well he told me. He's away at some business trip at the moment but he heard the news and was going to rush over here like an idiot." Rivaille said with a roll of his eyes. "I told him not to worry and convinced him to handle everything over there before coming back so he should visit you by the time you're out of here."

"O-okay..." Eren said and watched with misery as the habitual awkward silence enveloped them once again. The older man stared at the boy unabashedly as if contemplating something but made no move to speak further. Eren sighed quietly as he heard his heart beat quickly in his own chest; the only sound he could hear besides the ever present beeping of the machines surrounding him. His rib felt better, he noted solemnly, almost too good in fact, as he didn't feel any pain at all. It could be the medication he was taking but Eren knew himself to be a fast healer. In fact, all his cuts and bruises were completely healed, no scars or blemishes marring his skin. He looked completely fine.

However, there was but one problem; he couldn't remember _anything_.

He remembered yelling at his parents, the hurtful words he had spat in the heat of the moment, but beyond that he couldn't recall what had happened after the truck had crashed into them. All he remembered was waking up at the hospital, groggy and barely conscious, then laying his eyes on the small back of a man and feeling as if he'd done that same exact thing countless times before. He couldn't really explain what he was thinking at the moment, but he remembered his breath catching as his hand had reached out and clutched at the fabric of his dark jacket, the feel of the soft wool in his fingertips had sent his mind reeling as it searched the recesses of his head for something to identify the feeling with. He couldn't quite grasp it but he knew then that he'd also done this various times before; it felt so natural, holding on to his jacket like that, he wasn't sure why. He had no memory to associate the action with but he'd swore he'd done it before, and that this man was familiar somehow. He could feel it; deep in his chest his heart swelled with hope and certainty. He knew this man, yet he couldn't recall his name...

Then that same man had turned around, stared at him with such a strange look in his eyes that the feeling in his chest flared to life and yet his frazzled mind couldn't fill in the blank that was his name or why he felt like he knew him. He strained his mind to remember anything pertaining to the man, but it all came to nothing. He didn't know and it frustrated him, he was so close to recalling, he could feel it, but nothing had occurred to him and it left him drained, so he closed his eyes once again, barely registering the soft murmur of a woman as she told him "Everything will be fine".

He just hoped that he could see the man again when he woke.

"You're crying." Levi drawled in his usual monotone. Eren shook his head and reached up, wiping his tears with his hand. "I-I'm not. I'm just thinking of something."

"Of what?" the man inquired, eyes attentive despite his bored posture.

"I...said your name..."

"Yeah? Didn't you say your father mentioned me?"

"No, not Rivaille...I called you...Heichou."

The man didn't respond but his eyes grew sharper at the strange name. "I'm sorry...I don't know why I called you that but...it seemed right, like I knew that I should call you that. It just came out...I'm wrong though, right? No one has ever called you that? You've never met me before right?"

Levi opened his mouth to answer but paused at the sound of the door sliding open. Craning her head through the door was Eren's nurse, Petra Ral, a young woman with short strawberry blond hair that framed her delicate face and stopped above her shoulders. She smiled politely at Rivaille and shot Eren a concerned look. "How are you feeling Eren? Does your chest feel tight? Can you breathe all right? How's your head?"

"Everything's fine." Eren said, forcing a slight smile for assurance. The woman smiled back and walked into the room, shutting the door behind her. "I'm sorry to bother you but um there's two officers here to see you Eren. They want to talk to you about...the accident. Should I tell them to come back some other time or...?"

Eren glanced at Rivaille who shrugged back at him."Do what you want." he said.

The boy bit his lip and nodded hesitantly. "I guess now is better than later..."

"Good!" Petra cheered, "They'll only be here for a moment I swear."

And at that, she turned and opened the door, gesturing for the people on the other side to step forth. In came two officers, clad in their impeccable blue uniforms and sporting stern faces. One stood taller than the other, with firm coffee brown eyes and dirty blond hair pulled up neatly in a top-knot on the back of his head, while the other had his arms crossed and an arrogant air about him, his aged face wrinkled as his mouth stretched in an almost sinister smile. "Hey there kid."he said casually striding forwards while the taller man followed silently behind him.

"It's Eren." the boy nearly hissed, instantly taking a dislike to the man.

The man either missed the comment completely or opted to ignore him, instead staring intently at Rivaille who sat quietly besides Eren, also pointing a scrutinizing glare their way. Neither man made an attempt to introduce themselves and all was silent until the taller police officer sighed and scratched the back of his neck in anxiety. "Sorry for bothering you...um, Eren. My name's Erd Gin and over there is Officer Auruo Bossard."

"Ah, nice to meet you, I guess. My name's Eren Jeager, though i'm sure you already know that..." Eren trailed off with a soft tint of red on his cheeks but recollected himself and continued, "And this is my 'guardian', Hei-Rivaille." he said stumbling over the name as the man himself glared his way.

Auruo hummed contemplatively. "Rivaille...where have I heard that name before? Have we met?" he asked Levi. The man huffed impatiently. "Its just your imagination. I've never meet someone like _you_ before." he said blankly. Eren could tell there were implications in his words but was too preoccupied with mentally preparing himself for the unpleasant conversation he knew was approaching. "So Eren..." Erd began, his voice loud enough that it silenced his partner from bickering any. All eyes were turned on Eren as he gulped silently and focused on evening out his breathing.

"First of all, do you remember anything about the accident? Anything at all? What happened after the truck crashed into your car?"

Eren was silent, raking his brain for an appropriate answer but just as before, he recalled nothing. "I-I'm sorry I don't remember anything about it. I-I just remember seeing a white blinding light and...and then being here with..." he glanced at Rivaille who sat with his arms and legs crossed, staring at him with an incomprehensible look in his eyes. Auruo scoffed but Erd simply nodded.

"Its not uncommon for patients to have memory loss after traumatizing events. He could just be suppressing painful memories or it could even be due to the concussion he received." informed Petra who stood on the opposite side of the room, silent but attentively listening to the conversation. She shot Eren a reassuring look. "It's nothing too serious I believe. You should remember when you feel ready."

The boy nodded and so did Officer Gin. "That's fine." he muttered. "We just want to see if he can tell us anything of importance pertaining the case."

"_Case_?" Eren and Rivaille said simultaneously, looking at the officers with bewilderment. The taller officer blushed slightly in embarrassment. "I suppose I should have said that first. That's why were here Eren. The police have reason to believe that your accident may not really have been an accident."

"You're telling us that it was intentional? Murder?" Levi said, his tone impeccably cold. He glanced over to the boy who looked frozen in place with wide emerald eyes and a pale face. "Yes." Erd responded. "That's why we want to-"

"How?" Came the soft whisper of the boy as he looked up at Erd, eyes brimming with sudden emotion. Levi instantly tensed as he recognized that wild look. It wasn't unlike the one he had when he had when he had attacked the nurse. Unfocused and uncontrolled. The woman noticed as well, slowly inching closely as she gauged the situation quietly. Eren however did not budge, keeping himself in check as he seethed internally.

"How what?" Erd asked his keen eyes watching the boy intently.

"How do you know they were _murdered_ obviously?" he snarled, his eyes flaring for the slightest of moments but he managed to keep a semblance of calm. Erd cleared his throat and Auruo looked annoyed.

"Chill it with the attitude kid."

Eren turned his angry gaze to him and Rivaille tossed him a dirty look back, daring him to try something. The boy faltered some then, his shoulders slumped and his eyes somewhat smoldered but maintained a sharp fury and defiance that even Levi could not quell. "Keep going." the shorter man prompted impatiently to the officer. Despite his reluctance to say or even remotely show it, he himself was stricken by the news and his brain was quickly producing different scenarios.

"Well, when we arrived to the scene of the accident there was evidence of a struggle, blood was smeared on the pavement as if people were dragged across it and we were informed that your parents were found about 20 feet away from the crash site."

"There was evidence of foul play with Mrs. Jeager; there had been blunt force trauma to the back of the neck that had killed her." the nurse chimed in. "It could have easily been done with some sort of weapon. She also had bruises all over back I think and...a few broken ribs, does that help any?" she inquired.

"It does. Thank you mam." Erd said. He turned to the boy who looked like he was in the middle of an internal fight with himself. He seemed like he couldn't decide whether to scream or cry."Eren? Are you okay?" he asked kindly. The boy didn't answer.

"Eren." Rivaille tried, they would get nowhere if the boy constantly zoned out like that. "Eren." he called again when the boy didn't respond.

"We're probably going to need the forensic team to take the bodies to the morgue. See if we can find any evidence on them." Auruo huffed at his partner silently.

At this the boy's head whipped up so fast that Levi was surprised his slender neck didn't snap. "Don't touch them! Don't you dare!" he yelled.

"Don't yell kid, we have no choice if we wanna find somethi-"

"Don't touch them! If you touch them I'll kill you!" Eren roared, oblivious to the officer's words. Levi sighed and leaned forward grabbing and tightening his hold on the boy's arm until it was almost painful. The boy turned to him, his face confused, angry and grave all at once. Levi knew he wasn't thinking straight, how could he really, the boy had neither the mental preparedness nor the personality to handle such news with a calm composure and while he wasn't culpable of that, he needed to calm down and see reason. "Listen brat, they need to perform an autopsy on Jeager and your mom so that they can search for some evidence to help them locate and capture the person that might have killed them." the older man muttered slowly and deliberately, making sure Eren was understanding his every word."If you interfere, then the piece of crap will get away without giving two shits about what he did. Do you get me kid?"

"I'll get him myself!" Eren burst, clutching at Levi's wrist and with surprising strength, prying it off his arm. Rivaille almost laughed bitterly. "And then? What will you do? _Kill him_?" he barked, his eyes flickering to the officers before returning to the boy's.

"!"

"No, go on _tell me_, would you kill him? Do you even have enough balls to do it? _Say it_."

Eren's anger stopped short there, his eyes widened, his grip on the man's wrist was released and he seemed to shrink down to what he truly was; a scared and disconcerted teen. "Sorry." he had said quietly, his voice lifeless and his eyes grim. Rivaille sat back comfortably in his chair, ignoring the disappointment that settled in his stomach. He didn't know why but he was irked at the boy's reaction, he'd expected more, for some sort of angry yell of "_Yeah, I will kill that piece of shit!_" and then he had fully expected the boy to hop out of his hospital bed and run off after some imaginary killer he knew absolutely nothing about. It certainly seemed like something he would do, yet it seemed like he had misjudged the boy, and that past the blind fury, violent outbursts and constant determination that characterized him, there was something more. _A brain._

Thankfully a sensible one that bowed down before reason.

"So we can take the bodies...?" Auruo asked uncertainly. Levi regarded him coldly but nodded. Erd took the silence as a chance to move on. "Anyways, Eren. If we could just ask you to tell us about the day of the accident that would be all we need for now."

Eren nodded, his eyes never meeting with anyone's. "It was a normal day, my parents took me to school and at the end of the day they came to pick me up and take me to...t-the doctor." he sighed shakily as if he was reliving the day it had all happened.

"Is something wrong?" the officer asked, noticing his small pause as he mentioned the doctor. Eren turned his gaze toward the only window in the room, noticing it was almost sundown. He bit his lip. "Nothing. I just don't like the d-doctor is all."he specified. His father had told him ever since he was young, with the most grave face he had ever seen on his aged face, that he wasn't _ever _to speak a word of Doctor Morrison or the place where he got examined every month. Even now when his father was no longer with him, he was to heed his warning. The taller officer didn't seem to completely buy his lie but didn't question the matter any further. "Go on."

"Well, um, on the way we got into some stupid argument and then when we were close, I guess...the truck hit us."

"What was the argument about?"

At that Eren looked down at his lap and refused to talk. He played with his hands and opted not to make any eye contact, looking completely uncomfortable. Auruo sighed. "Kid if you don't answer we cant help you. What was the argument about?"

"It was stupid and I said some really mean shit to them and that's probably why we crashed in the first p-place." he muttered, his voice cracking at the end as his eyes turned glassy with tears he refused to let fall. "Eren..." Petra cried sympathetically. She wanted to get closer but a warning look from Levi told her to stay her distance.

"If I hadn't said that shit...they would have paid attention to the road and they could have lived..."

Erd and Auruo were silent as the boy sniffled quietly to himself. Levi sat, looking exasperated at the display. "Could you people stop asking useless questions and get to the point? This is taking longer than it should." he said impatiently tapping his foot against the tiled floor. Erd cleared his throat and nodded. "Sorry. Eren, the crash site was out of the city, and you were headed down a road that isn't traversed a lot. Where exactly where you headed?"

"We l-live a bit far from the city. My dad liked the quiet and his privacy so we moved closer to the walls, in the countryside, but close enough that he could commune to work in about an hour. The doctor I go to isn't in the city, he's closer to home and I don't go to the hospital in the city unless its an emergency."

"I see. This road you were on, do the people living in the countryside know about it? Do they use it a lot?"

"I-I don't know. It was really old and crossed the woods so people probably didn't use it much, but it was a shortcut we used whenever we went to the doctor."

"Did you know someone that knew of that road? Someone who knew your father or mother and that didn't get along with them? Someone that knew when you were being taken to the doctor?"

"Uh, well there's one person that might have known..." Eren said hesitantly, wiping his eyes and staring at Rivaille as if he needed permission. Rivaille narrowed his eyes and motioned for him to continue but his gut wrenched the moment he did, and he knew he wouldn't like the answer. "Uh...w-well _Mr. Smith_ probably knew. He and my dad were best friends and business partners. They told each other everything, so he might have mentioned it..."

"Erwin Smith? As in the co-owner of Jeager Pharmaceuticals Co.?"

"Ah...um, yeah, that's the one." Eren stuttered, surprised they knew of him.

Auruo pulled out a small notepad from his breast pocket and conjured up a pen from another pocket, scribbling down the name. The teen immediately bristled "But my dad could have mentioned it to anybody at work! He was well liked and if someone had asked him what he was doing this afternoon he probably would've told them what he told Erwin!"

"And would these people also know of the shortcut you took or where you were headed?" Erd asked sharply. Eren chewed on his lip. "No...but it's not Mr. Smith, that's impossible! There's no reason he would try and hurt us. He's known my father even before they started the company and he's always been kind to us."

"No, he has a motive." Auruo declared. "What if the guy didn't like the way Jeager was running business and he decided that he wasn't fit to run the company. What if he took care of him just to run the place on his own? Seems plausible. He gets all the profit and his goody-two-shoes act fools everyone around him."

Eren in a haze of sudden fury had leaped at the officer but Levi had sat in waiting, anticipating for the careless man to say something inappropriate that would drive the kid to the edge and even before Eren had moved forward the older man had stood up cast an arm over his shoulders, forcibly pushed him back onto the bed. The boy was shocked but his mouth recovered quickly enough. "How dare you!? He's always been with my father, he's always been with us in our best and worst times! He's always supported us so shut the fuck up! He would never, _ever_ kill my parents!"

The officers seemed taken aback with his outburst but Rivaille had expected no less. "First of all, check his alibi before you go accusing him of shit. Last time I checked he was out of town and around Shiganshina so unless he magically teleported, there's no way he was directly involved in their accident."

"He could have hired people to do it for him." Auruo mentioned.

Rivaille ran his free hand trough his pitch black hair. "Then feel free to go waste his time with your inane questions when he comes back, its no business of mine."

"How are you so sure that he'll come back?" Erd asked his eyes narrowing. Rivaille resisted rolling his eyes and chose to look at Eren who didn't struggle against him but looked to be in thought. "Well then that would make him even _more_ suspicious wouldn't it? Erwin isn't _stupid_, he wouldn't have even considered it an option." he deadpanned. Eren then squeezed his arm gently and Rivaille, deeming it safe, removed it. "Well if you have any more questions feel free to keep them to yourself and kindly get the hell out." Auruo opened his mouth, ready with a rebuttal but Erd placed his hand on his shoulder and shook his head. "Were sorry for bothering you and even more so for your loss. I promise you Eren, that we will find the person that did this."

Eren nodded but everyone knew he didn't hear a word that was being said to him. Erd removed a card from his pocket and unclenched Eren's pale hands, placing it on his palm. "Eren, listen...if you ever remember anything...anything at all, call me _please_." he said and the boy looked up at him but his eyes were clouded with many emotions and his face was like a porcelain mask; cold and empty. Erd pulled away and nodded to Rivaille and Petra before departing from the room with a grumpy Auruo following behind.

After they were completely gone Petra sighed deeply and looked over to Rivaille who she suspected was tired even though he didn't outwardly show it. She turned to Eren and moved towards him-

"Get out..." he muttered so quietly the two remaining adults in the room barely heard it. "Get out." he said louder this time, his voice flat.

Petra paused unsure whether to listen or not but one look from Levi told her to leave him alone. She hesitatingly left the room, glancing back one or twice at the boy before walking through the door. When she had left Eren turned to the short man, his expression unchanged except this time his brows were furrowed. "You too, get out."

Rivaille raised a brow but said nothing as he picked up his coat draped over the chair, donned it and walked out of the room calmly. "See you tomorrow...brat."

Eren was left in the company silence.

* * *

Eren couldn't take it anymore. He didn't know what to think, he didn't know how to feel. He thought he could forget, he wanted to push the horrible memories and thoughts away but something always made them resurface. Rivaille was no help, he didn't bring it up but it was no better than if he did; if he wasn't distracted then his mind would wander exactly where he didn't want to go. The nurse would sometimes talk to him, but that look of pity she gave him every time their eyes met was something he could not stand. It was as if she was asserting the fact that he was now an orphan and forever doomed to be alone. He could handle being alone, he had always felt alone until Mikasa and Armin came along. His parents were there but they were more preoccupied with work and his health than to consider he might be feeling neglected. And he had had no choice but to accept it, because due to his irascible attitude, he could never make friends, only enemies. Mikasa had understood though, she had accepted the parts of himself he most hated and still loved him for it. He could abuse her with his harsh words (though he never dared) and she would think no less of him because she knew him better than anyone. She knew that he was impulsive and crude and violent but she also pointed out that he was courageous, headstrong and protective over those he cared about. He would protect her from everyone and from herself, and she would do the same towards him. They cared for one another, she was his best friend and faithful companion, and he didn't know where he would be without her.

Armin was weak and scrawny, the kid everyone would pick on just because they could. Eren had seen it; the bruises on his face, the way he limped sometimes as he walked down the hall, the way he flinched in pain when he was sitting down for class. Despite that, he always smiled through the day, never showing his pain unless he was sure no one was watching. Eren hadn't thought too much of him, nor did he get involved with the kid beyond perhaps a few "Hey's" and "Good Morning's" every once and a while. He however, vaguely wondered how he was able to look so happy after letting himself get beaten. Eren got bullied quite a bit himself, just because of his attitude but he'd be damned if he didn't land a few punches himself in the midst of these skirmishes. Sure it got him in more trouble than not, but it was way better than sitting there and quietly taking it.

That's why one afternoon when he and Mikasa were looking for a place to have lunch and saw Armin and his bullies in the end of the hall, he was surprised.

Armin, scrawny, timid, and overall-pathetic Armin was standing straight before his bullies and talking back to them with no small amount of courage. The leader held him by the collar spitting obscenities in his face. Tears pooled in Armin's eyes but his gaze was resolute and did not waver. He did not lift a finger in retaliation.

"_What's the matter you little shit?" the tall, dark haired bully teased. "If you're not happy about getting hit, then why don't you hit back?"_

"_Like h-hell I'm doing that! I'm not stooping down to y-your level!" he stuttered, his eyes firm despite his trembling lips. The bully frowned deeply, a vein appearing on his forehead at the response. "Excuse me? Want to say that again?"_

"_Y-you know I'm right! That's why you've got no choice but to hit me without bothering to give an actual answer!"_

"_Watch what you say-" he said raising his fist. "Or I'll-"_

"_See! You're only proving my point!" Armin yelped. The bully tugged at his shirt tightly, slamming Armin against the lockers while his friends watched with sadistic glee. _

"_Shut it you damn smarta-!"_

_Before he could finish Eren's fist smashed straight into his cheek, causing him to fall a few feet away, his companions crashing along with him onto the dirty floor. Eren let out a small chuckle of poorly contained joy. "Guess, I was wrong about you Armin. You're not such a coward like everybody says. It was pretty bold of him to speak out like that, right Mikasa?" he asked the girl with the red scarf that walked besides him who held both their lunches in her hands. Armin who was a shivering mess laid against the lockers looked at Eren like he had grown two separate heads. Eren noticed the strange look and blushed. "Ah sorry for scaring you..." he said, loosening the tie on his uniform in his nervousness. "Um...my name's Eren Jeager and this is my friend Mikasa Ackerman. Nice to meet you?" he held out his hand to the small blond._

_Armin snapped out of his reverie and nodded, taking the hand offered to him and shaking it gratefully. "Ah, n-nice to meet you Eren, Mikasa. My names Armin Arlert and thank you so much for the help." he glanced over to the three bullies who had just gotten up from their spot on the floor. They were livid._

"_Jeager! You're in some deep shit now!" their leader hissed. Jeager turned to them with a serious expression, yet his eyes were boiling with fury and excitement. "I would say the same of you." he said, tilting the head to the side as he looked at them in a condescending manner. Armin straightened and inched behind Eren who seemed more than willing to defend him._

"_Heh. You wanna fight us then? Bring it!" the tall boy said, running forward with his fist pulled back and ready. Eren pushed Armin back and got into a fighting position as well, just as eager to attack as his opponent. They both ran towards each other ready to pound each other to a bloody pulp, when out of nowhere, two hands caught each of their fists and gripped them tightly enough for their knuckles to crack under the pressure. "O-ow! Mikasa! Let go!" Eren howled, wrenching his hand from her deathly grip. The leader paled at the mention of her name. "M-Mikasa?" _

_She looked at him wordlessly and released him. He backed up carefully and turned away. "Damn. You got lucky this time Jeager." he muttered as he walked away with his lackeys, their tails between their legs._

"_No **you** got lucky!" Eren hollered back, clutching his fist forlornly. "Fucking bitches." he added bitterly. He gave Mikasa a dirty look before turning to Armin and smiling. "He was bluffing, that fool was definitely scared of me! No one should bother you now, and if they do-" he pointed to himself. "They've gotta go through me first."_

_Armin laughed nervously. "I think they're scared of Mikasa if anything." he said. Eren looked offended at the comment but he brushed it off and took Armin's hand leading him away with Mikasa following them, their lunches mysteriously reappearing in her hands. "Well Armin, why don't you hang out with us from now on?"_

_Armin looked surprised at the suggestion. "M-me? But aren't you afraid of getting bullied? If you hang out with me they'll surely gang up on you too."_

"_A few extra fights wont kill me." Eren said with a chuckle. "Don't worry about it, Mikasa and I will protect you." To this the young woman nodded._

"_T-thank you." Armin said, tears finally escaping his eyes. "But why? Why me?"_

_Eren gazed at Mikasa then gave a contemplative look before finally answering with an embarrassed smile. "Cause the people that smile the most are usually the ones that are suffering? A-And you Armin, you are probably one of the strongest people I've met. I mean, you force a smile everyday." he laughed. "Someone like you, should be appreciated more, I think." _

"_And because I admire that courage you have, I'll protect you, so that it may never change." he finished, then blushed intensely. "Oh god, did that sound cheesy or what?"_

_Armin nodded feverishly and laughed, tears were pouring out of his eyes but he was happy, so very happy. Mikasa smiled beneath her scarf. "Armin." she called. The boy turned to her. "Feel free to smile for real when you're with us from now on okay?"_

And Armin never smiled a dishonest smile ever again.

Eren found himself grinning despite everything that had occurred in the day. Looking up at the ceiling he suddenly felt a great longing to see them. He wanted to see Mikasa with that red, old scarf he had given her and he wanted to read another one of Armin's books that he had always lent him. He wanted to go home and sleep all day, and then when he woke up he wanted to eat his mother's home-cooked dinner. He wanted to talk about silly and unimportant things with his mom and ask his dad what he was reading. He wanted to tell them he was an idiot and that he was so,so,so sorry for saying such horrible things and he just wanted everything to go back to normal. Whether he knew Rivaille or not, it didn't matter, he would never feel at home with him. He didn't want to go live with him, he just wanted to go home.

Tears fell from his eyes but it didn't matter to Eren. Nothing mattered anymore. He felt so empty, would he feel like this for the rest of his life? He supposed it was better than living with the horrible feeling that came from knowing that his parents were gone. It was like a snake was wrapped around his chest and was slowly and achingly squeezing the life out of him, filling his body with poison until it threatened to swallow his entire being in despair.

"_The police have reason to believe that your accident may not really have been an accident."_

Eren thought back to the officer's words. Honestly, it was hard to digest and it made the pain all the worse. How much more bad news could they pile on top of him until he finally snapped? His poor, misunderstood, loving mother and father, who would kill them? They who had done nothing but protect their undeserving child a bit too fiercely? They didn't deserve what fate had served them. Eren almost wished he could have died with them at the very least but he was selfish and deep inside, he was _glad_ to have survived. He could never forgive himself for thinking this. He was a horrible person. Eren clutched his head and sighed deeply as his mind recalled even more painful memories of what had transpired moments ago.

"_It could have easily been done with some sort of weapon. She also had bruises all over back I think and...a few broken ribs."_

"_E-Eren! Run!"_

For some reason, when he had heard Petra say that, his mind had flashed back to the figure on the floor, the once who called his name so desperately, the one that cried out in agony as the bat was swung down harshly on their back...

Suddenly something clicked in Eren's brain and at that moment his eyes widened with realization as he then knew with all certainty that his dream this morning had actually been a _memory_, and that the figure sprawled on the floor and calling out his name in such a familiar voice was none other than his own_ mother_. It made sense. Her injuries were synonymous with what he had seen in his dream, which would mean he had been there to witness the murder of his mother...

He felt nauseated at the thought. Was he really there? Did all that really happen right before his eyes? Could those horrific cries of agony really have come from his mom? _"Ugh."_ Eren groaned as his heart throbbed painfully when the screams resounded through his head once again. He didn't want to remember, he didn't want to think about it too much.

But if it was true...? Then it also meant he had an important clue with which to identify the assailant.

The cold, steel gray eyes of a murderer.

There was only one person he could think of.

Eren shivered as his tears stopped short. It couldn't be him..._right?_

* * *

**Uh...was it a good chapter? I hope so. Still, if you could leave a review with what you liked and what you think needs improving that would really help me fix this chapter and make it so that I'm not unsure about it. Thanks for reading though and I sincerely hope you enjoyed it!**


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